Heat actuated and manually operated valve



July 23, 1935.

G. M. LESSARD HEAT ACTUATED AND` MANUALLY OPERATED VALVE Filed oct. 29, I1952 ffii/37193 @A95/wg SSA nb ATTORNEY f Patented July 23, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEAT ACTUATED AND MANUALLY OPERATED VALVE Gilbert M. Lessard, Berkeley, Calif., assignerl of one-half to Harry A. Badorf, Berkeley, Calif.

Application October 29, 1932-, Serial No. @40,l57

4 Claims. (C1. 137-161) The invention relates to a heat actuated and sage. The plug 6 is urged to a position spaced manually operated valve and in its present enifrom the seat by means of e Spring 8 which en'- bodirnent particularly to an arrangement affordcircles the stem 9 of the valve and is interposed ing, in addition to the manual control of the between a shoulder head I2 thereon and a iiange' 5 valve, an automatic actuation, such as oy the I3 formed on a Cup-'Shaped member I4 having a 5 fusing f a, fusible link, t0 @1T-ect, 3,11 Opening of SOI'e-W threaded COllIleClOn With the body 3. A the valve in case the temperature surrounding diaphragm l DOSOIle'd ai? the free End Of the the Valve becomes excessivestem, and secured in place between the threaded An object of the invention is to provide a valve end T 0f the bOdy and a COITeSDOnd-irlgly thread- 10 arrangement of the character described in which ed portion I8 of a yoke member I9, Serves to seal 10 a, great force may be exerted t0 hold the valve the interior of the body and provides a closure in a desired position against the resistance of therefor dSDl-Ceable With the Stem. the fusible link Without causing any undue strain Retention Of the ValVe in a depressed DOSGH, on such 1ink that is for closing the passage 4, is arranged to Another object of the invention is to provide be effected through means of a collapsible sup- 15 a valve arrangement of the character described Porting Column 2| pOSGOTMbIe bei/Weena Screw in which the fusible link will be visible and acH 22 and a centering piece 23 guided in the yoke cessible from the exterior of the device. and mOVab'e With the diaphragm- Wth the col A further object of the invention is to provide umn held in extended relation, the screw which a valve of the character described which may S- COHVeIl'eIltly PTOVded With a hand Wheel 2-4, 20 be readily Operated manually while' sot for aumay be rotated in the yoke to force the diaphragm tomatic actuation, downwardly and hold the valve plug against the The invention possesses other objects and ieaseat againstthe resistance of spring 8. Howtures of advantage, some of which, with the foreover, as may be readily seen, Should the sup- 25 going, will be set forth in the following de'scripporting Column 2i Coi-lense While thus disposed se tion of the preferred form of the invention which the' DIGSSUT@ against the' Shri-iig Will be removed is illustrated in the drawing: accompanying and so that, entirely independent ef any retraction forming part of the specicatlon. It it to be of the screw 22, the valve will under the action understood, however, that variations in the showof Said Spring move to an open position and ing made by the said drawing: and description thereby permit the free flow of duid through the 3o may be adopted Within the sc'ope of the inven` VfiVe piSSgS. tion as set forth in the claims. here shown, the supporting column 2| is Referring to said drawing; formed of arms or sections 29- and 2,1 which are Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a conne-sited together by of a pivot Z-S- and valve equippedwith the featuresy of my invention having their' free' ends in 'the or points 3i 35 and showing itin closed position and set for au- 32- arranged to rest in recesses .i3 and 34- tornatic operation, respectively provided lnthc diaphraglhengaging Figure 2 is an elevational View partially in sec-l piece Z3 andthe inner end- 35- ci the screw. When,- tion with the Valve moved to open position. as clearly shown in Figure l, the sections in 40 Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View of the valve full-y extended relation, the pivot is somewhat 40" taken on the line 3 3 of Figure l. out of alignment with the points 3l andA so The meansv of my invention is utilized for nor-A that Without some means of retain-ing 'the secmally holding a valve in closed position and it tio-ns extended, the cel-umn 2l would, upon pres-` may be automatically actuatedl or manually opsure being. exerted inwardly against the ends erated to assume an open position. In the form thereof,v collapse and become ineffective for use in e5E of valve shown, the latter is' particularly adapted' holding the val-ve closed as aforesaid. Accordfor use in connection with' refrigeration' systems ing-ly means are provided, including a' fusible ele-1 where it becomes necessary, as in case of lire,- te ment, for retaining the column against collapse open the refrigerant line' and allowl the refrigwhile ltis desired to maintain the valve depressed.

erant fluid to escape; Ashere showna fusible link 3l is utilized for this 50l As illustrated in thedrawing, theA valve as a purpose, and as will be clear from the drawing, unit comprises a body 3 providing a passage 4 one end of the link is arranged to be attached to therethrough which may be opened or closed by an extension 38 of the yoke While the other end the engagement or disengagement of a valve plug is adapted for attachment to an extension 33 6 with a valve seat 'l provided across said paS- of one of the arms; The column as aforesaid is 55 designed to assume an extended position with the pivot in somewhat offset relation to a line intersecting the contact points 3| and 32, and the fusible link therefor, which is to be under tension, is arranged for positioning at the side of the column most remote from the pivot point. In this manner, as will now be clear, when the column is operatively extended and inserted in position between the screw and diaphragm, the link 3l will hold the column extended so that the screw may be rotated sufficient-ly to force the valve into as tight engagement with the seat as desired. On the other hand, should it be desired to open the valve manually when thus closed, it is merely necessary to rotate the screw in a reverse direction. Again, assuming the valve to be in closed position, should the temperature about the valve reach a point in excess of a pre' determined value, the link will fuse whereby the column under the action of the spring will not only collapse but will be expelled from position in the valve and thus leave the diaphragm to ascend free and clear of any obstruction as indicated in Figure 2.

A simple manner oi attaching the fuse to the column and yoke extensions is afforded by providing projections 4l and 42 thereon which are engageable in openings 43 and formed in the link. It is also desirable that the arms be each provided with cooperating stop portions 46 and il which assume the compressive force exerted against the column while the valve is in closed position.

It should be noted that since the offset of the pivotl with respect to the contact points of the column is only a very small amount, a comparatively very great force may be exerted by the screw against the column to keep the valve closed, without any appreciable strain on the fusible link, thus insuring an effective closure of the valve without danger to the automatic actuating feature of the device.

An important feature of the arrangement is also had in View of the fact that no springs are exposed, and yet the fusible link and the column are always in full view and readily accessible for inspection or replacement.

I claim:

1. In a valve mechanism, a body having a passageway therethrough and a valve member movable to a position closing said passageway and to a position opening said passageway, means urging said member to one of said positions, a pair of members forming a collapsible column for retaining said valve member in the other of said positions against the action of said means, and a fusible element maintaining said column against collapse and means operable to move said column and valve member to one of said positions and to permit the valve member to be moved to the other of said positions.

2. In a valve mechanism, a body having a valve member movable to positions permitting or restraining the fluid flow therethrough, a support, a spring urging said member to one of said positions, a pair of arms having pivotal connection with each other and extending from said connection to engage said support and said valve member to hold said member in the other of said positions against the action of said spring, said support being manually adjustable to and from said valve member whereby the latter may be moved by the support to one of said positions or permitted to move to the other of said positions, said pivotal connection being out of alignment with the points of engagement of said arms with the support and valve member thereby rendering said pair of arms collapsible, and a fusible element maintaining said arms against collapse.

3. In a device of the character described, a casing having a passageway and a bore opening at an end of said casing and communicating with said passageway, a hollow member in said bore having a perforate end disposed adjacent said passageway, a valve member in said passageway and having a stem portion extending through said perforate end, a helical spring surrounding said stem portion and supported on said perforate end and urging said valve member to a position permitting flow of fluid through said passageway, a head portion on said stem portion engaged by said spring, a diaphragm positioned across said casing end and engaging said head portion, a cap on said casing and sealing said diaphragm to the casiniT and having an opening therethrough, a slide member carried in said cap opening and supported on said diaphragm, an extension on said cap member and providing a threaded bore, an actuator member adjustably mounted in said last named bore, a pair of arms engaged by said actuator and slide members and pivoted to each other at a point intermediate of and out of alignment with the points of engagement with said members and movable with said actuator member to position said valve member to permit or restrain the flow of fluid through said passageway, and a fusible element secured to said extension and one of said pair of arms and maintaining said arms against collapse and movement oi said valve member under the action of said spring.

4. In a device of the character described, a casing having a passageway therethrough and a longitudinally extending bore opening at an end of said casing and communicating with said passageway, a cup shaped member threaded into said bore and having a perforate end disposed adjacent said passageway, a valve member in said passageway and having a stem portion extending through said perforate end and into said cup member, a helical spring surrounding said stem portion and supported on said perforate end and urging said valve member to position permitting flow of fluid through said passageway, a head portio-n on said stem portion slidably carried by said cup member and engaged by said spring, a diaphragm positioned across said casing end and engaging said head portion, a cap threadably engaged on said casing and sealing said diaphragm at the end of said casing and having an opening therethrough, a slide member carried in said cap opening and supported on said diaphragm, an extension on said cap member extending longitudinally from said bore and providing spaced from said slide member a threaded bore, an actuator member adjustably mounted in said last named bore, a pair of engaged at their ends by said actuator and slide members and pivoted to each other at a point intermediate of and out of alignment with the points of engagement with said members and movable with said actuator member to position said valve member to permit or restrain the now of fluid through said passageway, a laterally extending projection on said extension, and a fusible element secured to said projection and one of said pair of arms and maintaining said arms against collapse and movement of said valve member under the action of said spring.

GILBERT M. LESSARD. 

